Mercurial, unpredictable, volatile, erratic, brash, fickle; the words used to describe Pakistan cricket are increasingly synonymous and clichéd. “Which Pakistan is going to show up today?” is the question most often asked before a Pakistani outfit gears up for a game. The answer to which only unfolds in due course, but far too often, the team shocks itself by its own performance. Pictures of Shahid Afridi scratching his head and waving his arms while his captain Mohammad Hafeez, ex-captain Shoaib Malik and the young Sohaib Maqsood occupy the crease say a thousand words.

The truth is, nobody knew which Pakistan would turn up in the knockout game against West Indies, but let’s face it, their abysmal performance did not surprise anyone either.

There is a certain consistency to Pakistan’s inconsistency. Change of captains, coaches, managers and board chairmen are regular events that take place throughout a given year and are expected after the team makes an early exit from a high profile tournament. With Dav Whatmore gone and a temporary coach in place, a new fielding coach and umpteen changes in team management and selection committee, it was only natural for the axe to fall on the captain. Anything less would have been against standard operating procedures and would have perhaps left the stakeholders of Pakistan cricket thirsty for further subversion.

The platform for Mohammad Hafeez to lose his job was set before the team flew back from Dhaka. The media had already piled up pressure and further shaped public opinion. Former cricketers rallied against the current team setup and TV channels were flooded with speculation of what was to be expected next.

New chief selector Rashid Latif and Chairman Najam Sethi had already seemed apprehensive over Hafeez’s captaincy before the World T20 and even gone onto name Shahid Afridi as a possible replacement in the shorter formats of the game, including ODIs. Afridi, being the top contender to replace Hafeez as captain also publicly acknowledged his comfort with the role just days ago. "I am ready to accept any challenge for the Pakistan team… I have no issues, but things should improve," said Afridi, after his return from Bangladesh.

After almost sixteen years of experience with the Pakistan team, Hafeez might possibly have resigned to his fate before he went into the meeting with the PCB chairman, the ‘stepping down’ as it may be, a mere formality.

The only consolation for him might have come from the manner in which the inevitable was executed. The captain picked his words carefully and it appears even took his cue from the glorious farewell accorded to Sachin Tendulkar, in that he went at length to express gratitude to all. Hafeez thanked the media, the cricket board, the team management, the fans, his teammates, his family, his friends and almost everyone associated with Pakistan cricket, wishing the national team success for the future. Sethi later said that Hafeez’s resignation showed that he was taking responsibility and it was a sign of bravery.

For captains in Pakistan, bowing out in this fashion is historically is quite scarce. Misbah also relinquished T20 captaincy under similar circumstances, while Younis Khan announced T20 retirement inspired from Imran Khan’s bow in 1992.

However, in 2011, a more typical Pakistani story unraveled itself. After an encouraging run as Pakistan captain, Afridi found himself locking horns with the then coach Waqar Younis and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt. Afridi announced his retirement one more time and lost his captaincy for non-cricketing reasons. Three years later he is again a front runner for a job he possibly should not have been stripped off of in the first place. But like many Pakistani captains, his off field shenanigans over powered his on field exploits. If given the assignment again, there will always be a likelihood of history repeating itself, in one form or another.

Other options might include testing young shoulders, but unfortunately nobody seems to have been groomed for the position. Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal are perhaps the only two players from the newer generation to even have relatively permanent spots in the team. But does the PCB have it in them to look past the obvious?

Graeme Smith was made captain of South Africa at the age of 22 with the experience of only 22 ODIs and eight Test matches. He successfully captained seniors like Shaun Pollock, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis for many years. But is something like this even imaginable in South Asian culture? Sri Lanka legends Kumar Sangakara and Mahela Jayawardene seem comfortable under the helm of Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews or even Lasith Malinga. But can someone like Shehzad marshal Hafeez and Shahid ‘Bhai’ on the field? Even if it hypothetically made any cricketing sense, it seems a little farfetched for the Pakistani social structure at this stage. The Shoaib Malik-experiment was perhaps testament to this fact. So the options remain extremely limited.

Hafeez is still ranked as the number one all-rounder in the world in T20 and ODI cricket and is expected to keep his place in the side due to his economical bowling prowess. But with the change in leadership, his batting number, something which has been under scrutiny for a few years and he has held onto tightly, maybe finally shuffled.

Pakistan has no international games scheduled for almost another six months and thus will be in no hurry to announce Hafeez’s replacement. By the time Australia play Pakistan in October, the selection committee may have resigned, the courts may have summoned the Chairman and a new coach and manager may be in place. And who can be sure that Hafeez will not be back as T20 captain? Six months is not a long time, but for Pakistan cricket administrators, it can be an eternity.